bow performance with long draw

[Fastltz]

Couple things.  I have a 31 inch draw. I like 60# for hunting. First have any of you tested 60# @ 28 vs 60# @ longer...is it the same? Second want to get a 40-45# for stumping and target. That would mean I need a 30# @28. That seems too light to be drawn to 31 inch a lot, how would a light bow hold up? Thanks

[rraming]

Adds approx. 3-4 lbs per inch over stated until it stacks - I draw 28" - I don't have to fiddle with stuff.
If you are pulling 60@28 to 31", you are pulling maybe 70lbs - scale needed

[damascusdave]

First of all assuming that a bow will gain more than two pounds per inch past 28 inches is not necessarily correct...I have a 64 inch Kodiak that is 40 pounds at 28 inches and only 47 at 31 inches...I also have a 66 inch Ben Pearson target bow that is 30 pounds at 28 inches and sbout 37 pounds at 31 inches...that bow is 66 inches long...no reason to not go even longer if you are only going to be shooting inanimate objects...look for a target bow that is 68 to 70 inches and 35 to 40 pounds at 28...all I know for hunting performance is that 60 pounds at 30 inches is all I need for anything I hunt

DDave

[Orion]

60# at the longer draw provides considerably more energy because there's three more inches of draw force curve.  Or, put another way, the arrow stays on the string three inches longer, absorbing more of the bow's energy/thrust.

The 2#-3#-per inch gain in draw weight per inch of draw length is only a guideline.  Generally, a lighter bow is going to gain less.  You're drawing three inches more than 28 inches, so my guess is if you start with a 38-40# bow, you'll be close to 45@31 inches.  That is with a fairly long bow as well. Shorter bows will stack more and more quickly and may hit a wall before 31 inches. They'll also make for more finger pinch.

[Fastltz]

Anyone have ilf experiance with long draw. Will a 19" riser and xl limbs (66" bow) work well in the low poundage

[wingnut]

First of all you need too make sure you have enough working limb to handle the draw length and then you can work the math for the draw weight.

With an ILF bow and a 17" riser you would require XXL limbs for a longbow and XL limbs for a curve with our limbs.  This would make a 66" longbow and a 64" recurve.

Working out the weight is dependent on the limb design as some limb build weight differently then others.  Longbows usually add 3 or so pounds per inch past 28 until then hit the stack point.  Our ACS-RC recurve adds only 1 1/2 pounds per inch after 28.

I shoot a 17" riser and XL ACS-RC limbs rated for 46 pounds to get 51 pounds at 30 1/2".

BTW you will get about 4 fps for each inch past 28 over the same weight at 28.  So you will see about 12 fps bonus over the same design bow shot at the same weight but 3 inches shorter.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[katman]

Good points from Mike, speak with your source for riser and limbs for there recommendations. Can't go wrong with Dryad.

At 29.5" draw I prefer a 64" recurve, much smoother than 62" and I am more accurate with it.

[old_goat2]

I pull 31"  also, draw length trumps draw weight all else being equal so 60#@31" will greatly trump 60#@28" and that is assuming two equally performing bows. 64" bows is where I draw the line in the hunting weights for my draw length. My current setups are 17"risers with XL limbs.

[rraming]

Originally posted by wingnut:
First of all you need too make sure you have enough working limb to handle the draw length and then you can work the math for the draw weight.

With an ILF bow and a 17" riser you would require XXL limbs for a longbow and XL limbs for a curve with our limbs.  This would make a 66" longbow and a 64" recurve.

Working out the weight is dependent on the limb design as some limb build weight differently then others.  Longbows usually add 3 or so pounds per inch past 28 until then hit the stack point.  Our ACS-RC recurve adds only 1 1/2 pounds per inch after 28.

I shoot a 17" riser and XL ACS-RC limbs rated for 46 pounds to get 51 pounds at 30 1/2".

Hope this helps.

Mike

With a recurve, can you get the draw force curve to be flatter ( gain less lbs per draw) by weakening or making the curves more stiff? What would be the benefit of one that gains 3 lbs over one that gains 1 lb per inch ( or vice versa)?

[Sixby]

Unless I read the post wrong I believe most of you missed the point.

Two bows. One at 60 lb at 28 in and the other at 60 lb at 30 in . Will the 28 in draw be slower thn the 30.


I believe Orion came the closest if I am right in the assessment of the question posted.


The longer the arrow stays onb the string the more energy is parted to the arrow. Theoretically if everything else is same, bow design, materials, arrow weight ect.

God bless, Steve

[John Havard]

Steve & Mike are right, 60# @ 31" will ALWAYS outperform 60# @ 28" given two bows of the same design.  More energy under the Force/Draw curve equals more energy imparted to the arrow.

Here's a good discussion if you have a few minutes to read it:

 http://www.dryadbows.com/Defining%20Bow%20Performance%20Dryad.pdf

John